title: Exposure assessment of workers in printed electronics workplace.
abstract: Printed electronics uses converging technologies, such as printing, fine mechanics, nanotechnology, electronics and other new technologies. Consequently, printed electronics raises additional health and safety concerns to those experienced in the traditional printing industry. This study investigated two printed electronics workplaces based on a walk-through survey and personal and area sampling. All the printed electronics operations were conducted in a cleanroom. No indication of exposure to excess silver nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was found. While the organic solvents were lower than current occupational exposure limits, there was a lack of engineering controls, such as local exhaust ventilation, correct enclosure and duct connections. There was also an insufficient quantity of personal protective equipment, and some organic solvents not described in the safety data sheets (SDSs) were detected in the air samples. Plus, the cleaning work, a major emissions operation, was not conducted within a hood, and the cleaning waste was not properly disposed of. Therefore, the present exposure assessment results from two printed electronics workplaces suggest that the printed electronics industry needs to take note of the occupational safety and health risks and hazards already established by the traditional printing industry, along with new risks and hazards originating from converging technologies such as nanotechnology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nanoproduct Safety Research, Hoseo University, Asan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: Jin Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Kangho
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Keun Soo
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Taik Min
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Il Je
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D004581:Electronics; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000032:analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D011327:Printing; D011482:Protective Devices; D012834:Silver / Q000032:analysis; D012997:Solvents / Q000032:analysis; D017132:Workplace
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012997:Solvents; D012834:Silver